Darth Maul's Episode I Journal : Revised
by Essie Aster
Summary: Episode I through the eyes of the villain. The Forward has a better explination than I could fit here. :D
1. Forward

Forward

I just finished reading the Episode I Journal of Darth Maul by Jude Watson and my opinion, frankly, is that the book sucked. I know that sounds a little harsh, well, more than a little harsh, but it did, I'm not gonna apologize. Queen Amidala's journal and the Jedi Apprentice books, though geared toward young readers, were ten times better, not only in structure, but also in believability. The format was well thought out, neatly done, and written in the proper tense. Those of you who know me know that tense is one of the things that annoy me most in stories. Stories take place in the past tense, unless, in the case of a journal, the narrator is talking about things that are taking place at the moment. In this book all the narration was in present tense, minus a few spots where the author started in past and ended in present. Even the flashbacks were in present tense. Now, ok, this is not just a review of her story. Anyone reading this can probably tell I'm a little disappointed. I honestly enjoyed reading Amidala's journal, but it seems to me that Darth Maul's was hastily written and not thought out. But enough with that; I'm not just gonna bitch and do nothing about it. That's not my style ;).

As a result of my disappointment in this book, I have decided, actually I decided midway through the book, that I'm going to rewrite it. I don't care if no one reads it, I'm doing this for my own gratification and to get rid of my annoyance. I guess this would be considered fanfiction, right? Well, I figure if someone can novelize a video game, which I think was an awesome idea, by the way *applauds talonfire*, I can rewrite a crappy book. I'm keeping to the basic story line because I thought the author had some good ideas they just needed to be fixed a little bit. So, if you've read this book, which isn't likely unless you read it when it first came out (it's out of print now, I had to borrow a copy from a friend of a friend o.O), you'll recognize a lot of the story. But even if you have read it and did enjoy it I encourage you to read this version of it and tell me what you think about my revisions. Some advise to reviewers though, because, if you've read my bio you know, reviews on opinions bug the crap out of me, review the content if you're gonna review it. Don't review the forward, don't tell me you think I'm a bitch cause I didn't like Jude Watson's version. If you want to tell me that I don't care, but e-mail it or I warn you I will post it on my bio and I will rip you up one side and down the other. E-mails I am a lot nicer to. Hey, who knows, we may become friends J . Anywho, that's my little schpiel (does anyone know how to spell that word?). So, read on and enjoy the story.


	2. Entry One

Star Wars Episode I Journal - Darth Maul

Entry One

Evil is relative. Evil to one being is necessity to another. To say I am evil is to say that what I have done was not necessary. Everything happens for a reason, whether it is liked or no. Good and bad are relative; light and dark are in the eye of the beholder.

I serve my Master. I do what I must to further the cause of the Sith, the order I have devoted my life to. We work from the shadows, keeping our identities and motives hidden. But we are no less powerful for it. We grow in secret, gaining strength from the darkness. We foil our enemy, the Jedi, and they do not know it. We rival their power, and they believe us extinct. Their ignorance is their most profound mistake. The order of fools denies the strength of the power we use against them.

The Jedi claim not to seek power and yet they have it. They are admired by the weak minded beings of the galaxy because they demand admiration. But one day, soon, the galaxy will see where true strength lies.

This is why I have begun this journal, to keep a record of the events leading up to the resurfacing of the Sith order. Perhaps this account will stand along side the stories and legends of the ancient Sith Lords like Darth Bane and Exar Kun. But the future cannot overshadow the present. The present is what carries us to our ultimate goal, total power.

I have served my Master faithfully, standing in his shadow since my earliest memory. I have been on many missions, fulfilling my Master's plans from the day I became a Sith Lord. But times are different now. My Master's plan goes beyond our fight with the Jedi, beyond a simple unimportant planet to encompass the entire galaxy. It is true the Jedi have been asked to aid the Nubians, but they will soon be dealt with, an idea I look forward to with anticipation.

During the course of this mission the Sith will reveal themselves to the Jedi. We will have our revenge.

I remained on Coruscant after my last encounter with the Jedi. Though my Master's plan was once again safely concealed from the Jedi, they are again in his way. The Chancellor has secretly asked the Jedi Council for their aid. The Chancellor is weak with no ability to cope with problems on his own. Once my Master's goals are achieved, the Chancellor will be replaced by a stronger, more capable being; one who will not bow to the Jedi.

I spent what time I had between my last mission and my Master's call training, as I always do. Nearly every minute of my life has been devoted to the development of my mind and body. I have been required to keep myself in a constant state of readiness which necessitates constant exercise and practice. Though I have rarely crossed blades with the Jedi, when I do so I must be at the peak of my power. I cannot fail and leave the Sith order at half power and open to premature discovery.

Every training exercise has value, even the most basic ones. From summersaults to running up walls, each exercise has a vital lesson. As I write this I remember one of my earliest exercises that my Master taught me. I had to start from one end of the large training room and run toward the wall. I was to take three or four steps up the wall and flip over to land on my feet. I had to conquer my fear, conquer my pain. If I slowed before I reached the wall I would not have the momentum to make it up. If I stayed too long on the ground I would run straight into the wall. I practiced for hours on end, even after my muscles burned with fatigue. Time and again I landed on my neck and shoulders, bruising them and risking a broken neck. Each time I would try to cushion my fall with my hands only to discover that trying to break my fall only caused more damage to my body.

__

Never break a fall, my Master commanded me over and over again. _If you are prepared to break your fall you are prepared for the fall itself. Sith do not fall. You must not fall._

The next time I tried I could not rise again. My neck and shoulders were bruised and sore and my legs spasmed with fatigue. My Master lifted me from the ground and set me on my feet, ignoring my pain. _There is no pain where there is strength,_ he said. _Do it again._

Though I was weak and in pain, my vision blurred from the blows to my head, I did it again. Again I fell.

__

There is no pain where there is strength. Say it, he commanded me.

I could hardly manage words but I obeyed him. _There is no pain where there is strength, Master._

Do it again, he demanded.

Each part of my training has molded me into what I am and now I reap the benefits of my struggle. Now I never fall.

After completing my basic exercises, flips, summersaults, running up the wall, dropping into a shoulder roll, I practiced my lightsabre techniques. I went over the teräs käsi forms that have now become a part of me. In my hands my lightsabre is no longer a separate weapon. It has become an extension of me, moving when I move, responding to my commands as a muscle would. The forms and transitions I practice become involuntary actions when I fight. I no longer have to think about my footing, my feet position themselves under me, adapting easily to whatever terrain is there. I am in complete control of my body when I fight, giving me the advantage over opponents who must consciously move their limbs. Discipline is all. It conquers pain. It conquers fear. It conquers failure.

I continued my exercise with a triple backward flip. My breathing was steady and my heart rate barely a beat above resting. I was prepared to continue training but just then my Master signaled my comlink.

I went quickly to my Master who waited for me in front of a holoprojector with the hood of his robe pulled down over his eyes. It is rare that my Master involves me in his communications to his pawns but on this occasion he did. I stayed off to my Master's side so my image would not be caught in the beam that transmitted my Master's image across space to the Viceroy of the Trade Federation in orbit around the planet Naboo. The Neimoidians' toad-like images were in turn projected back to us.

I have often wondered why my Master chooses beings such as Neimoidians to play as pawns. I know it is not my place to question my Master, but one day I may lead the Sith order, so I often think of such things while resting. My Master has taught me that power used indirectly can be just as effective as a full-scale assault. We do not need to be on the front lines. Instead we hire fools to do our grunt work. My Master controls their actions, ruling by fear and intimidation. The Neimoidians are weak minded and cowardly. Controlling them is not difficult. They lack confidence and intelligence, but they have a large measure of greed which is easy to exploit. Until the day we can rule openly, my Master will use beings like the Neimoidians to conquer.

His plan does have a downfall, though. He knows it. I was just sent after one of the more clever, less intelligent Neimoidians called Hath Monchar who tried to sell the information about the blockade. As my master has said before, even the most cowardly creatures can rear up and bite if cornered. But no one wins against a Sith.

The plan, as far as my Master has revealed to me, is to capture Queen Amidala, elected monarch of Naboo, and force her to sign a treaty that my Master will push through the Senate. He believes that it is better if the actions of the Trade Federation have at least the illusion of legality. After the treaty the Trade Federation is to land their droid armies on Naboo. I know my Master has a hidden agenda in this plot, although I do not know what it is. It is not my place to ask so I have kept silent.

The Neimoidians had contacted my Master, something he had forbidden them to do. I could feel my Master's irritation at their breach of his rules. His voice was impatient as he demanded to know what they wanted.

One of the Neimoidians, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, a toad-like creature called Nute Gunray answered my Master nervously. 'The Republic Ambassadors are Jedi Knights.'

I saw my Master stiffen almost imperceptibly. I knew then he had not anticipated the Jedi's involvement so soon. 'Jedi,' Darth Sidious said softly, too softly for the holoprojector to pick up but just loud enough that I could hear him. My Master was calm as he processed the news. 'Are you sure?' he asked. After all, the Neimoidians are not known for their intelligence. 

I found a slight amusement in watching the creature called Nute Gunray squirm under the stare my Master has given me more than once.

'They have been identified, my lord.'

Another one of the creatures I recognized as Gunray's Lieutenant, Daultay Dofine stepped forward looking nervous even for a Neimoidian. 'This plan of yours has failed, Lord Sidious,' he dared tell my Master. 'The blockade is finished! We dare not go up against Jedi Knights.'

My Master turned to the cowardly creature seeming both angry and amused. 'Are you saying you would rather go up against me, Dofine? I am amused.' He then turned back to Gunray. 'Viceroy.'

Gunray stepped forward now more nervous than he was before. 'Yes, my lord?'

'I don't want this stunted piece of slime to pass within my sight again. Do you understand?'

Even in small conflicts such as this, I realize I have much to learn from my Master. He uses his anger like an electro-jabber, to frighten and motivate. Anger used properly can be as powerful a weapon as a lightsabre.

When my Master told Gunray to begin the invasion and kill the Jedi I felt a slight disappointment before I remembered Monchar's pitiful resistance to my attack. Though not all Neimoidians are as weak as he was I know Gunray will not be able to kill the Jedi. 

As the screen went black I remained silent, waiting for a hint that my Master was through with his thoughts. I remember what happened the one time I interrupted my Master's thoughts and I will never repeat the same mistake. I never repeat my mistakes.

'Do you think the Neimoidians are capable of getting rid of the Jedi, Master? They are weak fools.'

My Master nodded slowly, pensively. 'Yes they are,' he agreed. 'But even fools can get lucky.'


	3. Entry Two

Entry Two

My relationship with my Master is unlike the Jedi-Padawan relationship. My Master rules me completely. We are both Sith Lords, but that is merely a title given to us by the natives of Korriban. My Master orders and directs my actions, holding the power of life or death over me. Yet, though I am his apprentice, I also share some of his power. As I have grown, so has his confidence in me.

I am content with my place in his shadow. Every moment I'm with my Master I learn something new. He is able to see weakness and exploit it, not only in battle but in politics and basic communication. He can sense anger and inflame it, confusing a being not attuned to the more powerful emotions. My Master's vision takes in the galaxy with its multitude of planets and governments. But the complexity of the Republic's politics does not intimidate him. He can hold it in his mind and know that someday he will control it all.

When I returned to my training room I activated a panel to look out over Coruscant. The city is multi-dimension, spreading out, above, below, and all around. It encompasses the whole of the planet, overpowering mountains, oceans, streams, and forests. Only one hill is visible in the entire landscape, and even that hill is taken up by Coruscant's wealthier inhabitants.

The sun has set below the metallic horizon but the many lights of the city and skyhooks above make up for the lack of natural light. Billions of beings live on Coruscant in billions of dwellings. Yet here is a place with more privacy than the far off planet of Tatooine or the water world of Kamino. Here there are so many places to hide, countless ways to move in secret. Here my Master has created our own world, all but invisible in the teeming masses of Coruscant's inhabitants.

Out among the many lights of the city is the Jedi Temple. There the Jedi live out their short lives in meditation while we act. They know nothing of the chaos they are about to face. My Master's plan will not fail. His plan will breed chaos.

I have difficulty calming my eagerness to face the Jedi. Despite my Master's calm assurance that fools can get lucky I know the Neimoidians will fail to kill the Jedi. Then my Master will call me into service and I will prove to him that I am worthy to be his apprentice. I am walking a thin line between eagerness and disloyalty. Wishing for Gunray to fail contradicts obedience to my Master's will.

I turned my thoughts again to the Jedi Temple, imagining it in a smoking ruin. I could almost see the bodies of the Jedi littering the ground. I could smell the ozone from locked lightsabres. I could taste the blood in my mouth. I imagined looking my Master in the eye and showing him the destruction.

__

Here is what I have done for you, Master.

Well done, Lord Maul.

But enough with the fantasies. I activated the panel and it slid closed, shutting out the blinking lights of the city. I focused my mind, preparing myself for my battle with the Jedi that I know will come.

During fatigue and hunger is when I push myself the hardest. Battles rarely happen when you are well rested and fed. My Master has taught me to be prepared at any moment and so I train to be prepared even when I lack sleep and nourishment.

I activated the dueling droids. These droids were programmed with the skill of many martial artists and were set to moved just a hair faster than any humanoid can. When I originally bought them the droids were programmed with a restraint that prevented them from dealing the killing blow once the opponent was disarmed, but that was the first thing I deactivated. Their accuracy was perfect and their weapons were lethal. A miscalculation on my part would have been a fatal mistake. I do not make mistakes.

I named each one of the droids according to the weapons they possessed; vibro-axe, blaster, and lightsabre. I saved lightsabre for last.

Vibro-axe was the first to attack me after I activated one blade of my lightsabre, aiming for my legs. To prolong the challenge I flipped backward and landed behind the droid. I used the end of my hilt to knock it forward, at the same time deflecting a bolt from Blaster with the live end of my weapon. Spinning, I took the head off Vibro-axe and knocked Blaster down with a kick to its chest plate. At this time I was forced to parry a thrust from Lightsabre before knocking it down with a Force-powered blast from my hand.

I could feel the Force rushing through me, fueled by my aggression. Its power filled my veins and strengthened my muscles giving me an unnatural edge against my mechanical opponents. Through the Force I could feel the bolt from Blaster headed toward me. Without looking I dodged it and deflected the next bolt back into the droid's face plate. By that time Lightsabre had risen and stood a little over a meter from me, looking for an opening in my defenses. I gave it the opening it wanted and the droid charged, swiping its weapon at my neck. Dropping to the ground I rolled under the droid before it realized I had moved. My leg caught and tripped the droid and I leapt to my feet holding my lightsabre sideways in front of me.

Without warning, my lightsabre leapt from my hands and landed in the grasp of my Master. I had not felt him enter.

My attention turned quickly from him to the remaining droid who had risen and started a new attack. Weaponless against the weapon of a Jedi, I am not defenseless. My master has trained me to use my body as a weapon. It is the only weapon I can rely on fully because it is the only weapon I control completely.

I knew my Master was testing me, and I also knew I could deactivate the droid with a single blow. As the droid charged me I leapt over its head, spinning in the air to face the droid. Before I landed I grabbed hold of its metallic head and twisted, pulling it off as my feet touched the ground. My heart rate and breathing had barely increased during the fight.

I watched my Master as he examined my now deactivated weapon. I knew a reproach was coming, as it always does when I do not notice his coming. At last he threw the weapon into the air and I called it to my hand through the Force.

'Do not let me see you relax your guard again,' he said to me. He had his hood pushed back and I could see his eyes. In them I could read disapproval. 'You are valuable, Lord Maul, but you are not indispensable.'

Just as silently as he came he left. I knew he was right. Had I been in a battle against Jedi I would have been dead. In a way the Jedi are weak, but they too have the power to disguise their presence in the Force. I had been careless.

In the coming battle against the Jedi I will not be so careless. My hatred toward them burns hotter every day. My weapon is the Force, powered by my aggression and hate, a blade pointed at the Jedi. They are my enemy, but I will triumph over them. I will triumph because I have weapons to use that they must fight against. I have my anger, and I have no mercy.

My Master once warned me not to underestimate the Jedi. That though they have a fatal flaw they are still formidable. I asked him to name their flaw. In one word my Master named the downfall of the Jedi.

__

Compassion.


	4. Entry Three

Entry Three

My past before the Sith is unimportant to me. I know I am a Zabrak from Iridonia, but that is all. I do not know the name my parents gave me or even if they did. But I care nothing about my beginnings. I am interested in what I am and what I will become. Whether or not my parents searched for me does not matter. They were powerless against a Sith.

My Master has often said, _The feelings of the powerless do not matter._

My Master saved me. Without him I would have been a superior being trapped in an ordinary life or claimed by the Jedi. My Master recognized a great power in me even as a baby. He raised me in the way of the ancient Sith, showing me how anger and aggression make the Force grow.

Our order is almost as old as the Jedi. Our founder was a Jedi Knight who realized that blocking out the stronger part of the Force was foolish. Embracing the entirety of the Force is the key to its power. Because of his vision he was expelled from the Jedi order.

Instead of meekly accepting his banishment he told others of his vision. A large number of Jedi understood the truth of his teachings and left the temple, going into exile with him on the planet Korriban. The natives there, the Sith, welcomed the exiles as gods and their order became known as the Sith Lords. But they grew too numerous and over confident. They were divided against eachother when they fought the Jedi at Ruusan. There was only one survivor, a Sith Lord called Darth Bane. It was he who established the rule by two code. There can be only one master and one apprentice. The simplicity of the strategy was its genius. It has allowed the Sith to survive and grow undetected for a thousand years.

It is because of our strength that we can exist as only two. We do not need a temple full of children to nurse and train or a Council of debating weaklings. We do not need a legion of blind Knights to keep us secure. Two of us are sufficient. Two of us are powerful.

My first lessons from my Master were in discipline. When I was confined in darkness, deprived of nourishment and shelter, and subjected to physical injuries, it was all to teach me a lesson. A child cries when he is hungry, when he can smell his food but not reach it, or when he falls and breaks a bone. He does not understand that the pain makes him stronger.

_Punishment is a lesson, young Maul. Learn it well._

I quickly learned not to cry.

As a young child I was often taken to desolate worlds for outdoor training. My Master would test my endurance and hone my ability to use the Force. Once during my training I landed in a dinko nest. Dinkos are small aggressive creatures with two claws that lock onto their victim. Before it attacks a dinko sprays a sour venom. When I landed in its nest I startled the creature and it attacked me, spraying its venom into my eyes before clamping onto my arm. I flinched and screamed as I bashed the creature onto a nearby rock. I looked over at my Master, proud of my courage. I was a child.

'You flinched,' he said with disapproval in his voice. 'You were afraid of the dinko.'

'Yes Master,' I admitted. 'But I controlled my fear.'

I knew a punishment would come, yet that evening I ate my usual meal. I was not confined in a sensory deprivation suit, nor was I forced to sleep on a hard floor. The heat was not turned off. During the next day my routine continued as usual. Finally I forgot about the incident. I was young.

A few nights later, after a long day of hard training I returned to my quarters. My door closed behind me and the lights stayed off. I felt fear creep up on me as my senses alerted me to the presence of multiple creatures in my room. As I turned around to try to open the door a dinko leapt at me from its perch on the wall. As I tore it off my shoulder another one jumped up my leg. Then another landed on top of my head. The room was filled with angry dinkos. When I tried to open the door it would not budge. The venom from the many creatures blinded my eyes so I could not use them to find and kill the dinkos. 

It took me nearly all night to kill the creatures and when the morning came my door opened and my Master stood in the passageway. My skin was inflamed and bleeding and my tunic was in ribbons. My eyes burned and my vision was blurred as I looked at my Master.

'Do not flinch again,' he said.

__

The punishment is a lesson. My Lord Sidious taught me well. There could be no better teacher among the Jedi.

I learned to see through the eyes of my Master. He showed me the galaxy and explained it in terms of power - who had it and who did not. He showed me the vast resources of many worlds that are there for the taking. The concerns of most beings are petty. Food and shelter are luxuries, not necessities. Love and sacrifice for a fellow being, a world, or a cause is not only a distraction but a danger. I have seen my Master use such weaknesses in others for his own ends.

True I am willing to die for my Master, but the life that I have is owed to him alone. Someday I will be Master and have my own apprentice, and he will be willing to die for me. I am prepared to take over the role of Master and find an apprentice should the need arise. I will not back down from the challenge. I have trained all my life for it. But my Master will survive and he will ride the crest of the tide of power when the time comes.

My Master called me too him after a short time. He had been contacted by the Neimoidians twice already since the first transmission. He informed me that the Neimoidians had failed to destroy the Jedi and allowed them to land on the planet with the invasion armies. Irritated and angry he donned his dark hooded robe and stood on the transmission platform. His identity, like mine, must remain unknown until our enemies are destroyed.

__

Remember, Maul, what is done in secret has great power.

My Master ordered me to remain out of the range of the transmitter as he activated the beam that would send his image across space to the Neimoidians on Naboo. It took less than a minute for the Neimoidians to respond to my Master's summons, but long enough for his irritation with them to double.

Viceroy Gunray and his new lieutenant Rune Haako were seated side by side at a long narrow table. Gunray fidgeted nervously under my Master's stare and started to mumble a report.

'We control all the cities in the northern and western part of the Naboo territory,' he boasted. 'And we are searching for any other settlements where resistance-'

My Master silenced Gunray and ordered him to destroy the high-ranking officials quietly. Then he asked the question that was the reason for his transmission. 'What of Queen Amidala? Has she signed the treaty?'

The Neimoidian seemed to sink lower into his chair as he forced the answer out. 'She has disappeared, my lord. There was an escape-'

'An escape?' My Master hissed. He seemed to have anticipated a problem of that magnitude. 

Gunray blubbered an excuse but was quickly silenced again by my Master. He demanded to know the details of the escape. His anger bristled when he heard of the involvement of the Jedi. He thundered at the Neimoidians, ordering that they find the ship and get the treaty signed. After yet another excuse I sensed my Master calling me from the darkness to stand behind him. It was gratifying to see the terror on the Neimoidians' faces when they received my image. My appearance silenced any more excuses. Fear can be a powerful tool. I did not have to say a word and they cowered before my Master and me.

Gunray looked between the two of us, shocked and dismayed.

__

Yes, fools, there are two of us, I thought as my Master informed the Neimoidians that I would find the lost ship. He cut the transmission off with a slight wave of his hand and turned to me, his face taut with rage.

'Queen Amidala must sign the treaty.'

He did not have to say any more. I immediately started my search for the ship after I left his presence.


	5. Entry Four

Entry Four

Finding the Jedi and Queen Amidala was not a difficult task. There are many resources open to the Sith; connection traces, instinct, logic, bribes, and others that I will not reveal here. My Master has showed me time and again that there is nothing too small to escape his notice, no system far enough out of reach, and no ship that cannot be found if you have the patience and cunning to look.

It took little time for me to narrow the search to one small planet in the Outer Rim Territories: Tatooine. Tatooine is a large world but with only a few big cities and small pockets of moisture farms scattered over its surface. I do not believe it will take long to locate them on the planet.

Lord Sidious summoned me and I went directly to him. Together we looked out over the lights of Coruscant. I expect my Master was feeling the same anticipation I was, and am, but his emotions are rarely visible and difficult to read.

My Master remained silent for a long time, staring out over the city. I knew he was thinking but I was getting impatient to share my news. No doubt he knew I had already traced the missing ship to Tatooine but I was anxious to start on my journey.

When I could no longer bear the silence I told my Master what I had discovered. 'Tatooine is sparsely populated. The Hutts rule and the Republic has no presence. If the trace was correct, Master, I will find them quickly and without hindrance.'

I could sense my Master was pleased with the work I had done but he remained silent for some time before responding to me.

'Move against the Jedi first,' he advised me. 'You will then have no difficulty taking the Queen back to Naboo, where she will sign the treaty.'

I was pleased that I would finally be able to reveal the Sith menace to the Jedi. I expressed my feelings to my Master and received a slight smile from him.

'You have been well trained, my young apprentice.' I knew my Master was very pleased then, for he rarely calls me his young apprentice, even when I have succeeded in fulfilling his wishes. 'The Jedi will be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my control.'

When I left my Master's side I went directly to the concealed landing platform we always use. My transport was ready as always.

The transport I use was only recently given to me by my Master. It is a small craft but has a powerful hyperdrive as well as a cloaking system.

Though I am quite certain that the Queen's ship sustained some damage while escaping the blockade, time is of the essence. I must get to Tatooine before they repair the ship and take off. My Master believes they will head to Coruscant and seek for help from the Senate. Though it will do them little good, alerting the Senate to the possibility of an illegal invasion could hamper our progress.

My ship is coming out of hyperspace soon and I must deactivate the cloaking system in order to land on the planet. Landing will take some time as I must wait until nightfall for a more concealed landing.


	6. Entry Five

Entry Five

When I came out of hyperspace near Tatooine I picked up a distress signal from a craft stalled in the shipping lane. My first mistake was in ignoring the signal. Though I never aid stranded ships I should have been alert to the possibility of pirates this far into the Outer Rim.

Once I passed the small cruiser a large bulk freighter decloaked in front of me. Cloaking my ship at that point would have been useless since the freighter had probably been tracking my course since I came out of hyperspace and decloaked. The stalled ship behind me wheeled around and cut off my escape route. 

The docking bay on the freighter opened and three smaller craft started toward me as several panels slid back, exposing proton torpedoes. 

My first thought was to jump back into hyperspace but without taking the time to calculate the jump there was no telling where I would come out. My shields would not last long against the freighter's weapons and from the readings my scanners got it would take a long time for my weapons to penetrate the freighter's deflector shields, so I took another defensive approach, quickly formulating a plan and setting it in motion. I cut my engines and lowered my shields. I hurried to an escape pod and jettisoned it just as the pirates latched on to the outer hull of my ship.

I observed the smaller ship from inside my cloaked escape pod. The only visible weapons on it were large ion cannons. The deflector shield on my ship could easily protect it from numerous ion blasts. It was the proton torpedoes from the freighter that worried me. Two blasts from those could have turned me and my ship to dust. I am not fool enough to believe that the cruiser did not have any other weapons on it but once I was inside the freighter I could take care of both ships. 

I could have easily piloted the pod down to the planet but I was not going to surrender my ship to pirates. Besides, I needed to take the Queen back to Naboo, and the small engine in the pod would never have made it that far.

So I headed toward the bulk freighter's open docking bay. The freighter looked ready to fall apart, its hull cracked in several places and caked with debris. It was more angular than most ships, its shape not designed for speed or comfort, not to mention battle maneuvers. Bulk freighters tend to be large boxes with hyperdrives, but there was no way my ship could have escaped the cruiser and the freighter's proton torpedoes.

My pod landed quietly in the docking bay. I had to decloak it in order to get out, but the two guards, both Togorian males, ignored me, no doubt assuming that I was a fellow pirate landing a captured pod.

The docking bay looked worse than the outer hull. Crates were haphazardly stacked against the walls, spare parts were dumped in piles throughout the bay, and the lights were only at half power, casting deep shadows in corners and around the greasy piles.

My Master once told me that the greedy are the first to economize. He has never been proven wrong.

The two guards stood partially covered by one of the shadows, but my eyes are more adapted to darkness than most humanoids and I had no difficulty seeing them. Neither held weapons, though there was a pile to their right. Nor did they see me approach from the shadows. They did not have time to respond once I activated my lightsabre. Neither knew of my presence until it was too late for them.

_Move in secret when you can. The blow in the darkness is the killing blow,_ my Master has taught me.

I made my way quickly to the bridge. I saw only one of the Togorians pirates on my way. The freighter seemed to have only a skeleton crew, but that is not uncommon among pirate ships.

I hid in a shadowy corner as I observed the bridge crew for a moment. There were only three Togorians in the room; a captain who was yelling at one of the pirates on my ship, a navigator, and a weapons technician.

'I'm telling you, there's no one on board,' the pirate on the viewscreen roared angrily at the captain. Togorians are known for their quick tempers, which is most likely another reason the crew was so small. With a large number of temperamental creatures trapped in one place fights are very likely to break out; among Togorians fights are usually deadly. 'Of course we searched for hidden compartments, we're not fools.' They must not have searched well, since there are several compartments built into the walls and floors of my ship. 'It's an unmanned ship. That's why it didn't answer the distress signal.'

'Alright, idiot,' the captain growled. 'Bring the ships into the docking bay. If you do find any passengers, kill them.'

'Hela-Tan is a fool,' the navigator growled. 'They could be hiding.'

'Then we'll find them,' the weapons technician snapped.

'Shut your flapping mouth!' the captain roared. 'What's the difference? We have the ship!'

I took that as my cue to attack. Everything faded to gray - the screens, the consoles, cages, open containers. The clutter on the bridge was only a background to my targets. The navigator, the closest of the pirates to me, died without a sound. His head was just rolling off as I spun and killed the weapons technician. By that time the captain had produced a vibro-axe and was charging me blindly, without strategy. I disarmed him with a flick of my wrist and he looked down in shock at the remaining stump of his arm. It took until my blade was almost to his neck before his brain registered the pain. His cry was cut short as I severed his head from his shoulders.

I moved quickly to the control panel and started to work. My Master concentrated heavily on my training in mechanical skills, so it took me little time to interface the proton torpedoes with the propulsion drive. As soon as the ship tried to make the jump into hyperspace the engine would blow up. It was a risk, but most pirate ships leave the scene immediately to avoid capture whether they noticed part of their crew dead or not. 

The comm unit sparked to life as I was leaving the bridge. 'Approaching docking bay,' a growling voice reported.

To avoid suspicion, I activated the audio end of the comm unit. 'Proceed to the bridge,' I commanded and left the bridge.

I returned to the docking bay just as my ship touched down on the deck. Three Togorians disembarked and I slipped inside quietly. 

I made another mistake in my haste, not scanning the ship with my senses before boarding. One of the pirates was still at the flight control panel. His fur was covered in tiny razors and he held a vibro-axe in his hand which he activated as soon as he saw me enter. I could see that he favored his right side as he charged me, but I had little space to dodge him. The light reflecting off the razors attached to his fur temporarily blinded me. I used the Force to guide my jump as I leapt over his head, but my leg caught the edge of the vibro-axe that he held in the air.

My Master's words raced through my head as I landed hard on my wounded leg. _If your enemy inflicts pain, do not allow him to see it. There is no pain where there is strength._

I activated one blade of my lightsabre as I landed and thrust it behind me, filling the air with the stench of blood and singed hair. I kicked the partially conscious Togorian out of the hatch and closed it. 

The engines of my ship were already warmed up from the short flight into the docking bay so it took little time to prepare them for departure. I lifted off quickly. The bay doors were already closing when a warning light turned on, alerting me that the hatch had not closed completely. Angry at myself and the pirate, I sent a Force blast that knocked the pirate out of his wedged position in the partially closed hatch. He fell with a scream as he dropped away from my ship. The heat from my engines vaporized him before he hit the thermasteel deck. 

I made it out of the bay just as the doors closed behind me. I was several hundred meters away, already starting to orbit Tatooine when the freighter tried to jump into hyperspace. The shockwaves of the blast rocked my ship slightly but quickly dispersed into the space around the desert planet.

It took me a moment to cool my rage before I started my decent into the night sky of Tatooine. My battles are rarely so closely won. I was angry at myself for being caught by the pirates, and even more angry for letting myself be wounded by one of them. My left calf burned where the vibro-axe made contact, but I waited until I landed on the planet to take care of the wound.


	7. Entry Six

Entry Six

I prefer night landings. Even if my Master had not decreed it, I would have chosen it. As I descended into Tatooine's atmosphere I could see the many lights of the spaceports and the occasional lone light from a moisture farm. Night shows things that day cannot. The glare of the sun can hide and the sand can camouflage. But most creatures, preferring light over darkness, reveal themselves at night.

The twin suns had almost completely set by the time I landed my ship on an isolated mesa near one of the spaceports, Mos Espa. There is a large pod race tomorrow in Mos Espa and I'm venturing to guess that the Jedi are there. I can sense their presence not too far away.

My sensor sweep of the area told me that there were no life forms near my landing for at least twenty kilometers. I activated the ship's security system to alert me if any life forms pass within fifteen kilometers of my ship.

I left my ship for a moment to look at my surroundings. I could almost see the spaceport's lights below me, just out of my viewing distance. I checked the area with my electro-binoculars to see if my sensors had missed anything. Just an extra check to make sure, though I saw nothing but sand dunes. I was able to make out the outskirts of the spaceport about thirty kilometers away.

It was there I sent my probe droids. With the Jedi so close I could not risk searching for them myself. I downloaded information on the two Jedi sent to Naboo during the flight into the droids and they are programmed to return to my ship immediately with the exact location of the Jedi. I am confident that by this time tomorrow the two Jedi will have been eliminated and I will be on my way to Naboo with the Queen.

I returned to my ship to meditate and dress my wound. As soon as I was inside I sealed up the ship and sat in a small, empty room.

Before I dressed my wound I meditated. I focused on the pain in my leg until it became fiercer. Intensifying the pain intensifies my rage and turns it into power I can use to heal myself.

__

There is no pain where there is strength.

My Master once told me that the Jedi view pain differently. They embrace it, thanking it for alerting them to the fact that they have been wounded and need to care for themselves. Any fool with eyes can see when they have been wounded.

I applied the bacta and dressings and returned to meditating. This time I let my mind drift back to the day my life changed; the day I became a Sith.

It was years ago. I was old enough to feel that I was already full grown but young enough not to know what that meant. I do not know how old I was, age is unimportant. I do not track my development or maturity in such meaningless ways. Therefore it was not my age that told my Master that I was ready, but my strength and ability to use the Force. The Jedi take trials to become Knights. The Sith are tested before they become true apprentices.

For fourteen days I took a series of physical tests; lightsabre duels, endurance exercises, fasting. In many tests I was blindfolded or inside of a sensory deprivation suit. It was the most grueling fourteen days of my life and by the time it was over I was physically exhausted.

It was then I found out that my test had just begun.

'I am sending you to a planet in the Outer Rim,' my Master told me. 'It is made up of three kinds of terrain: desert, swamp, and mountains. You will have several matches on each terrain. I have sent a fleet of assassin droids to attack you. Each are programmed differently; some will work together, others will work alone. They are all programmed to kill.'

My Master's words surprised me. In a quiet voice he continued, 'I am prepared to kill you, Maul, if you are not able to complete this test. And you must be prepared to die in order to win.'

I nodded, still slightly shocked at his words. 'I understand, my Master.'

'You must survive for a month. You will have only a survival pack.'

Despite my exhaustion I was exhilarated. I started my journey with all the confidence of youth. I never believed it would be easy becoming a Sith. The value of anything is measured by effort. I was ready to prove myself to my Master.

I realize now how young I was. I could not have known what waited for me on that remote world.

I landed on the planet and immediately began my test. The difficulty was far greater than anything I could have imagined. There was perhaps one night that I was not awakened by an attack, and by that time I was too paranoid to let myself fall asleep. I tried to keep count of the number of droids I destroyed but each battle blended into the next. It was during one of these battles that I lost my survival pack and had to kill and forage for food.

After a time the days and nights began to blur together. I no longer measured time by the setting of the red sun but by each moment I survived. I rarely had time to rest between the battles and having to hunt. I grew thin as my strength began to leave me. Each battle was more difficult than the last until finally I was wounded by two of the droids. I managed to drag myself to a cave where I was relatively protected from any sort of attack. My side burned but I lost little blood since blaster wounds cauterize almost instantly. The biggest problem with blaster wounds is that, under the best of circumstances, they take weeks to heal. I did not have weeks, and I did not have bacta. The best I could do was use my outer tunic to make bandages to bind the wound.

The wound festered, the pain increasing tenfold. The days I spent in the cave felt like months. I was too weak to hunt or forage and I could not leave the cave to find water. I could hear the assassin droids hunting around outside the cave and I knew I would not survive another skirmish.

I felt my life-force slowly ebbing from me. I began to doubt myself, my reasons for coming, my ability to survive. By the time my Lord Sidious appeared at the mouth of the cave I had convinced myself that I would not survive.

When I first saw my Master I was not sure it was really him. It was not until he grabbed my tunic and lifted me to my feet that I realized just how weak I was. My legs gave out under me and I slumped against the wall.

'It is time for your final battle,' my Master informed me.

Whatever relief I felt at my Master's appearance flew away with his words. I could not even stand, much less fight. Yet his power over me was so complete that his will gave me the strength to stand on my own. I started then to gather the Force into me, first slowly, then opening myself up to its dark currents. Slowly I felt strength begin to trickle back into me. My wound was beyond hurting, but any movement was stiff and restricted. Once my legs were sturdy underneath me I forced myself to look into my Master's eyes.

'I am ready, my Master.' I could hardly form the words in my mouth.

I saw my Master smile slightly. I stood there, confused, half expecting ten assassin droids to appear behind him. Then he reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out his lightsabre. My mind did not register what he intended to do with it until I saw the red beam extend from the silver hilt.

I felt angry, betrayed. My own Master would kill me, for I knew I could not win. I have never been able to beat him, not healthy, and especially not so close to death.

My anger strengthened my hold on the Force, giving me the strength to draw my own weapon.

'You cannot be as pathetic as you look,' my Master taunted as I activated both ends of my lightsabre.

Before I had finished he raised his blade and attacked. I parried the blow and used the shock from our clashing blades to reversed the direction of my weapon and sweep at him with the other blade. But he was already gone by the time I had completed the attack. The rapid motion threw me off balance and the cave walls spun.

I heard his laughter behind me. 'I take it back,' he said. 'You are that pathetic.'

As I turned to face him he lowered his weapon and attacked me with words. He told me that I was weak, not worthy of being a Sith Lord. He said he had misjudged me.

Blind with rage I tried to attack him. He dodged me dismissively and I fell back against the cave wall. It was painfully obvious to me that he was toying with me, using my anger to get a reaction. I knew he could kill me in a heartbeat, and yet he did not. He stood before me, sabre lowered to his side, and looked down on me with disdain. I am certain I was a pathetic sight, stripped down to my inner tunic, caked with grime and blood, looking nothing like a Sith Lord.

My Master slowly told me that he had expected my failure. He had seen my weakness long ago. Then he informed me that secretly, over the years, he had been training another apprentice, one who was stronger than I.

Through my dry, cracked lips I pointed out that more than one apprentice was against the code.

'That's right,' he said. 'A spark of intelligence at last.'

He told me that the second apprentice was on the other side of the planet. He had defeated all the assassin droids and had not sustained more than a flesh wound.

'Unlike the pathetic, weak creature I see before me. I cannot believe it was I who trained you. You're a disgrace,' he said with disgust.

I realized dully what he meant. I had not completed my test. There were still assassin droids left to be defeated. I had been wounded, the other apprentice had not. The other apprentice had succeeded where I had failed. He would become a Sith Lord. He would receive the honour I was due. He would reap the glory I had punished my body and disciplined my mind in order to receive. He had been chosen to succeed my Master.

The ball of anger in my chest exploded. I gritted my teeth as power rushed into me, power unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was an all consumeing torrent, ready to take over my mind and body. I was ready to let it.

My Master became not only my opponent, by my enemy. He had put me through all those years of brutal training, all the while knowing it would come to this. He betrayed me, abusing my loyalty and choosing another over me. I hated him for it. I would kill him for it.

'Can you take the next leap in logic?' Lord Sidious asked me contemptuously. 'Focus, Maul. If there can be only one apprentice than one of you must die. Who do you think I have chosen to die, Maul?'

My hatred and rage roared within me, pumping me full of the awesome power I had discovered within the Force. My wound no longer hindered me and my mind leapt into focus. My objective was clear and my enemy stood before me in the body of the man who had been my Master. One of us would not survive the battle, of that I was certain.

With a howl of rage I lunged at him, barely missing him. From deep inside the Force my strategy formed quickly and my movements were lightning fast. He parried my next blow, and the next, but I did not stop. I was not hindered by the size of the arena, nor did I stumble in my fatigue. When he parried the next blow he staggered under the force of it. I used reserves of power I had not known I had to launch and all out assault on him. I could feel our energies clash in the small cave, two titanic forces fighting to overcome eachother.

He parried each blow with less and less force. I believed I was beating him. Yet still he continued to taunt me. Before I was aware of it he had maneuvered me against the cave wall. My vision blurred as Lord Sidious raised his lightsabre. I parried the blow, but my lightsabre suddenly flew out of my hand and into the waiting hand of the Sith Lord. I realized that he had been only feigning weakness, all the while maneuvering me into a trap. He had only just begun to tap into his own reserves of power, whereas mine were all played out.

I knew I would be unable to deflect the next blow, the blow that would surely kill me. But I would not be so easily defeated. As I saw his lightsabre come toward me I lunged at him, body-checking him and grabbing hold of the arm that held his lightsabre. Even with my slight advantage he was still stronger than I. In a last desperate attempt to save myself I sunk my teeth into his arm, tasting his blood and spitting it back at him in contempt.

Angrily he threw me off of him and against the cave wall. The back of my head hit the cold stone and I stood momentarily dazed as he raised his lightsabre in attack. There was nothing I could do but let him kill me, but I would die with his blood on my lips.

The lightsabre came down and I waited for the moment of death. The blade struck my shoulder and I felt an instant of pain but the release never came.

Lord Sidious laughed and deactivated the lightsabre, returning it to its place inside his robes. It was set to minimum power, a training sabre. It did no more than bruise my shoulder.

My muscles failed me as I realized he had never meant to kill me. I leaned back against the wall to hide my weakness from my Master. My side had begun to bleed as I laboured for my breath. And still my Master laughed. I will never forget the sound of that laughter. It was mocking laughter, sinister and without mercy.

'Do you feel the hate?' he asked.

I nodded.

'It is the source of your power,' he said. 'Today you have delivered yourself into my hands. I have absolute power over you, Lord Maul. Someday you will hold the same power over another. It is the honour of the Sith.'

Still dazed and confused, I asked him about the other apprentice, but there was no other. It had been a lie, meant to goad me into using more and more of the dark energies of the Force.

'You have passed the test,' my Master told me as he tossed my deactivated lightsabre back to me.

I caught it reflexively and returned it to its place on my belt. I spit my Master's blood out of my mouth onto the cave floor, repulsed by the taste of it. My rage was cooling, but I still had not fully grasped what was happening.

My master fixed his gaze on me, an icy gaze that held all the power of the Force.

'From this day forward you are my apprentice, Lord Maul. You have been chosen for the glory of the Sith. You are my instrument.'

'Yes, my Master.'

'Your rage, you enjoyed it?' he asked. 'You enjoyed wanting to kill me?'

I nodded. 'Yes, my Master.'

He laughed again, but this time his laughter did not mock me or taunt me. 'You did well, Lord Maul,' he said. 'You did very well.'

By then my rage against him had completely left me, never to return.


End file.
